Employees Across U.S. Fired After Joining 'Day Without Immigrants' Protest

BY
JEREMY MORROW
| PUBLISHED:
02-20-2017

More than 100 protesters across the country were fired from their jobs after skipping work to take part in last week's "Day Without Immigrants" demonstrations.

More than 100 protesters across the country were fired from their jobs after skipping work to take part in last week's "Day Without Immigrants" demonstrations.

Restaurants and day cares were among the businesses in states like Florida, Tennessee, Oklahoma and New York where bosses fired workers after they didn't show up for work in order to protest.

In Nolensville, Tennessee, nearly 20 employees at Bradley Coatings Incorporated, a commercial painting company, were laid off after participating in the nationwide strike on Thursday. The company's attorney, Robert Peal, said in a statement obtained by a news station that all employees were told they risked termination if they skipped work on Thursday, but 18 did so anyway.

The attorney wrote: "Regretfully, and consistent with its prior communication to all its employees, BCI had no choice but to terminate these individuals. The reason these employees missed work, to engage in peaceful demonstrations, had nothing to do with BCI's decision to terminate them."

That same day in Florida, several staff members at Grace Community School in Bonita Springs told a local news station that they planned to participate in Thursday's protest. Two employees claimed they were fired as a result ,though the head of the school insists no one was terminated.

Asked by a reporter why the cause was important, Brenda Botello, who quit on Friday because she was afraid of being fired, said: "Because we are Mexicans. We need to find another job.